Mesh network management system

Abstract

Aspects of the invention provide for a mesh network management system. In one embodiment, a system is disclosed having: at least one computing device adapted to manage a wireless mesh network by performing the actions comprising: sending data including a plurality of fragments over a network to a plurality of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) nodes, wherein the data is sent a predetermined number of times; receiving, from the plurality of AMI nodes, a message regarding the plurality of fragments of the data; and sending, in response to receiving the message, fragments of the data that were not received by the plurality of AMI nodes.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system comprising:
 at least one computing device adapted to manage a wireless mesh network by performing the actions comprising:
 sending data including a plurality of fragments over a network to a plurality of mesh network nodes, wherein the data is sent a predetermined number of times and wherein the predetermined number is at least two; 
 receiving, from the plurality of mesh network nodes, a message regarding the plurality of fragments of the data after the data including the plurality of fragments is sent the predetermined number of times; and 
 sending, in response to receiving the message, fragments of the data that were not received by the plurality of mesh network nodes. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the sending of the data including the plurality of fragments over the network to the plurality of mesh network nodes includes one of broadcasting the data to all of the plurality of mesh network nodes or multicasting the data to a subgroup of the plurality of mesh network nodes. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of mesh network nodes include Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) nodes. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 2 , wherein the multicasting of the data to the subgroup of the plurality of mesh network nodes includes initially broadcasting a header that indicates the subgroup of the plurality of mesh network nodes. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein sending the data further includes initially sending to the plurality of mesh network nodes a header that has a list of expected fragments. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the data includes one of: a firmware update, a configuration file, or a data file. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the message includes a list of fragments of the data that were not received by the plurality of mesh network nodes. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the message includes a list of fragments of the data that were successfully received by the plurality of mesh network nodes. 
     
     
       9. A program product stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, which when executed by at least one computing device, performs the following:
 sends data including a plurality of fragments over a network to a plurality of mesh network nodes, wherein the data is sent a predetermined number of times and wherein the predetermined number is at least two; 
 receives, from the plurality of mesh network nodes, a message regarding the plurality of fragments of the data after the data including the plurality of fragments is sent the predetermined number of times; and 
 sends, in response to receiving the message, fragments of the data that were not received by the plurality of mesh network nodes. 
 
     
     
       10. The program product of  claim 9 , wherein the sending of the data including the plurality of fragments over the network to the plurality of mesh network nodes includes one of broadcasting the data to all of the plurality of mesh network nodes or multicasting the data to a subgroup of the plurality of mesh network nodes. 
     
     
       11. The program product of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of mesh network nodes include Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) nodes. 
     
     
       12. The program product of  claim 10 , wherein the multicasting of the data to the subgroup of the plurality of mesh network nodes includes initially broadcasting a header that indicates the subgroup of the plurality of mesh network nodes. 
     
     
       13. The program product of  claim 9 , wherein sending the data further includes initially sending to the plurality of mesh network nodes a header that has a list of expected fragments. 
     
     
       14. The program product of  claim 9 , wherein the data includes one of: a firmware update, a configuration file, or a data file. 
     
     
       15. The program product of  claim 9 , wherein the message includes a list of fragments of the data that were not received by the plurality of mesh network nodes. 
     
     
       16. The program product of  claim 9 , wherein the message includes a list of fragments of the data that were successfully received by the plurality of mesh network nodes. 
     
     
       17. A system comprising:
 at least one computing device adapted to manage a wireless mesh network by performing the actions comprising:
 broadcasting data including a plurality of fragments over a network to a plurality of mesh network nodes, wherein the data is sent a predetermined number of times and wherein the predetermined number is at least two; 
 receiving, from the plurality of mesh network nodes, a message regarding the plurality of fragments of the data after the data including the plurality of fragments is sent the predetermined number of times; and 
 broadcasting, in response to receiving the message, fragments of the data that were not received by the plurality of mesh network nodes. 
 
 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 17 , wherein broadcasting the data further includes initially sending to the plurality of mesh network nodes a header that has a list of expected fragments. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 17 , wherein the data includes one of: a firmware update, a configuration file, or a data file. 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of mesh network nodes include Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) nodes.